The first theme, factors that influence the reception of prevention messages during the South African COVID-19 lockdown, is broken down into categories which include:
• the influence of COVID-19 preventative apparel on prevention messaging.
• the influence of traditional medicine, herbal remedies, and religious interventions on prevention messaging.
• the influence of COVID-19 physical prevention methods on prevention messaging and the influence of scientific interventions and western medicine on prevention messaging.
These categories were further decomposed into sub-categories made up of:
preventative apparel; Preventative home remedies and religious interventions; physical prevention methods, scientific interventions, and western medicine.
These themes, categories and sub-categories were derived from comments under the selected Facebook post displaying the importance of wearing a mask and information surrounding isolation and quarantine, which were directed at highlighting the impact of certain prevention practices that were put into action during the COVID-19 national lockdown.
Theme 1: Factors that influence the reception of prevention messages during the South African COVID-19 lockdown
Code Sub – Categories Categories
• Where/How are masks made?
Preventative apparel
The influence of COVID-19 preventative apparel and physical prevention methods on prevention messaging.
• N95 masks Preventative apparel
• Hand sanitizer Physical prevention methods
• Social distancing (1 metre)
Physical prevention methods
• Stay at home! Physical prevention methods
• Isolation/quarantine Physical prevention methods
• Self-quarantine Physical prevention methods
• Herbal vs.
Conservative medicine
Preventative home remedies
and religious interventions The influence of traditional medicine, herbal remedies and religious interventions on prevention messaging.
• Ginger, garlic and lemon tonics and vitamin C
Preventative home remedies and religious interventions
• Religion/ Prayer Preventative home remedies and religious interventions
• Medical devices Scientific interventions The influence of scientific interventions and western medicine on prevention messaging.
• Vaccine Western medicine
• COVID-19 treatment Western medicine
TABLE 2 – Codes, Sub-categories and Categories of Theme 1
The following three categories list in the table, which comprises the overarching theme will be discussed below:
Category 1: The influence of COVID-19 preventative apparel and physical prevention methods on prevention messaging.
As South Africa faces a great resource shortage, fighting the COVID-19 pandemic falls on the shoulders of the people. This includes the people of South Africa changing their behaviours to follow the preventative measures set out to combat COVID-19, which consists of wearing face masks, physical distancing and avoiding big gatherings. However, an important factor that affects the outcome of people's health such as behaviour change is greatly impacted by the limited access to credible health information. This limited access to credible and trustworthy health information allows people to be more exposed to the COVID-19 virus as they are less likely to practice the preventative behaviours that are set out to combat the virus (Rossouw and Christian, 2020).
The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a variety of public health and hygiene measures, that have been stipulated to protect individuals against the virus, with the most obvious one being
the use of face masks. Medical research on the use of face masks as personal protective equipment (PPE) has initially had conflicting views, however later research has showed that the use of face masks were effective in slowing community transmission and gradually it has been recognised as a suitable COVID-19 prevention measure (Chan & Yuen, 2020; World Health Organisation, 2020). However, people aren’t perceptive enough when it comes to acknowledging the dangers and negative effects of COVID-19 which can often be seen with preventative measures where people are required to make an investment for their health before they contract the virus such as wearing masks even if you are healthy (Rossouw and Christian, 2020).
Basing their experiences from Asia and Europe, the South African government focused on social distancing, self-isolation, quarantine, COVID-19 testing and lockdown. While these prevention methods have proven to be effective in curbing the COVID-19 virus around the world, the socio-economic realities within South Africa prevent 100% effectiveness. Basic public health prevention strategies such as regular hand washing and social distancing, which have been proven to limit and contain the COVID-19 virus, does not have the same effect in South Africa as approximately 13 per cent of all households are located in informal settlements that are poorly structured, cramped, and at times lack access to running water (Staunton, Swanepoel & Labuschagine, 2020). Physical prevention methods such as self-isolation and quarantine proved to even more ineffective, given that in South Africa, many people share a single bedroom or are homeless. These factors display the influence that the stipulated prevention strategies prove to be impractical and pose as a challenge to majority of the South African population (Staunton, Swanepoel & Labuschagine, 2020).
Evidence of this can be seen from the following comments that were extracted from the data set. “Everybody is talking about how to hygienically avoid COVID-19 but nobody is teaching us what to do in the event that one is infected, at his/her personal scale at home” – this quote emphasizes the need for public health and hygiene information in a time when there was little to no information available in order for people to be able to prevent themselves and their families from contracting COVID-19. “Government should supply the water, musk's and sanitizer,(how)people coming to screen house to house they should come with musk's and sanitizer nd musk to offer per house, Municipal should supply water to community.” – the quote serves as plea for the government to provide citizens with resources like face masks, hand sanitizer and water, in order to be protected from COVID-19.
Category 2 & 3: The influence of traditional medicine, herbal remedies, and religious interventions on prevention messaging VS. the influence of scientific interventions and western medicine on prevention messages.
COVID-19 brought on limited health information, social interaction, the closure of borders and home confinement. Health workers were used to help limit the spread as well as determine the extent of the spread of the virus by doing tests, implementing quarantines and isolations for those were infected and treating those who had contracted the virus. These measures were adopted by the South African government as well, however traditional healers appealed to the South African government to include them in these prevention measures. These traditional healers would assist in fighting the spread of the virus in rural areas.
Due to the uncertainty and limited general and medical information surrounding the COVID- 19 virus, many people around the world, including South Africa have resorted to traditional herbal healers as well as religious interventions to combat the symptoms and effects of COVID- 19. The World Health Organisation has recognised that alternative, traditional medicine has many benefits and with Africa’s long rich history in traditional and herbal healing, it plays an important role in providing care for populations in need (WHO,2020). However, these traditional and herbal healing techniques and medicines have not been clinically tried and tested, which means that there is no scientific or concrete evidence of the efficacy of these methods.
Evidence of this can be seen from the following comments where the devotion and trust that the audience has put into their prayer and religion is evident, which will ultimately help them to overcome this pandemic and also help and motivate others to turn to their religion in this trying time of need: “Remember Christ healed many diseases with word so believe everything will be oh right with the power of God Amen.” As well as the following comment: "Let's talk to God guys its time for prayer the word of God all ready talk long time ago diseases will come at that time will not get cured cause we done many wrong thing against God 's will so this is our punishment,we have to go back to Jesus Christ we are sorry for everything have mercy for all of us have mercy Almighty God in Jesus name Amen"
Collectively these comments indicated that many respondents on Facebook were trying to negotiate and understand COVID-19 prevention practices through their own medical, religious, traditional and faith lens. The platform of Facebook enabled a participatory space to communicate and engage.